Is my starter clutch toast?!

[blowerbike]

That's encouraging! Could you elaborate on the welds? And did you experience stress cracking as severe as what I've shown in my photos?

the plunger bores on yours is f ed up bad...pass on this info and get the right(good) parts.
welding up the SC on your shaft drive is a little overkill and makes any maintenance to the SC near impossible.

[Carter Turk]

Do starter clutches give notice of impending failure or just quit all at once? Obviously sheared bolts would be an abrupt happening but what about the hub and roller wear? My starter was working fine then this afternoon it made a noise that if it was on a car would make me think the bendix was out. Never would engage with multiple attempts and also rocking the bike enough to move the engine internals.

I'd say so after round 6 with mine. I've replaced various part over many years (rollers, pins, springs, gears, roller bearings, rotors) and the last was a near complete new starter clutch assembly, minus rotor. It expired in less than one year and took cylinder sleeve material with it. Haven't figured out which cylinders yet.

Almost all of my impending failures have been accompanied with a snatching sound. Push the starter button here a sound that indicates gears locking up. Stop. Try again, fires right up. Or just a free spinning starter motor, or a whirring sound that magically disappears once up to speed, but then returns to haunt at idle or low revs.

Welding like Ray and Belucci suggest is in my future. My engine is not stock, but it seems to be a common problem, even with stock engines. Then there are folks who have no issues ever and tell us so, right here on this forum.

[bellucci]

Blower is correct about not being able to service the sc. I just got tired of tearing it apart so frequently. I am starting a 1327 motor with it and the welds help save the bolts. The plunger holes do look poor on yours. I was just giving you a way to make it last a little longer. I have a street 1100es with a stock motor and the bolts just sheared in that one 3 days ago...
Curt

[poorgradstudent]

Thank you for the info. I may try the welds as a temporary fix until I can find a new one.

Any advice on searching for discontinued parts?

[bellucci]

Watch Ebay and have $300.00 in your Paypal account... I wish I had a spare to sell, but it is in one of my street bikes... I watch Ebay a bit... If I see one, I will let you know.
Curt

[zuzu]

Are you sure that they are discontinued?

Check this link.

http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d40334f8700230d8b4ea16/starter-clutch